Extension-reel for electric lamps, portable drills, and the like



F. F. OAKLEY.

EXTENSION RE EL FOR ELECTRIC LAMPS, PORTABLE DRILLS, AND THE LIKE. APPLICATION HLED DEC. 4, 1919.

1,362,344; Patented Dec. 14, 1920.

' ll l/ 11 UNITED STATES QFFICE.

FRED F. OAKLEY, OF CINCINNATI, GT-IIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE CI} CINNA'II SPECIALTY MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CC-RPORATION OF OHIO EXTENSION-REEL FOR ELECTRIC LAMPS, PORTABLE DRILLS, AND THE LIKE To all 10 ham it may concern Be it known that l, Fnnn F. OAKLEY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Extension- Reels for Electric Lamps, Portable Drills, and the like, of which the following is a, specification.

This invention relates more particularly to the self-winding reels, as well as to an important improvement in the type of reels heretofore patented by dam Heim October 12, 1915 and January 30, 1917, No. 1,15 6,4OL and No. 1,214,031, respectively and assigned to the same assignee, The Cincinnati ripecialty Manufacturing Company, as the one herein, and its principal object is to provide the said peculiar type of reels with an auto matic circuit-breaker or switch that is mounted directly on the reel bearing;-support so that a safety-contact for the lighting of the lamp shall be effected while the latter is in actual illuminating use or service and G then an instant breaking or parting of said contact effected when the lamp-cord is wound on the reel, whereby the lamp is in. normal resting position and without any energizing current present therein nor in the 11 i; reel itself and whereby key-sockets are dispensed with for the removable lamps and to entirely free the resting lamp from current to meet the very strict requirements of insi'irance underwriters as well as to reduce danger from charged wires heretofore resulting in damaging fires and bodily injury.

The details of structure will be fully described in connection with the accompanyingsheet of drawings, in which' Figure 1 is a sine elevation showing the device in normal position, with the circuit broken and the lamp reeled up out of illuminating or currentcharged use; Fig. 2, a fore-end elevation showing the left-hand side of the device and its closure-cap in section; Fig. 3, a detail perspective view of the said closure-cap; Fig. 1, a detached perspective View of the safety bridge or resilient contact-arm of the circuit-breaker device embodying one of the members of my improvement herein; Fig. 5, a detached perspective View of the lower contact stop or post-plate of said circuit-breaker dev ce; and Fig. 6, a vertical section of the sprlngcontrolled reel, including a diagrammatic Specification of Letters Patent. Pat td Dec. 14, 1920.

Application filed December 4, 1919.

Serial No. 342,497.

elevation of the forked bearing-support, the circuit-breaker devices in duplicate thereon and the box or casing on the reel-shaft for containing the contacts and circuit-connections leading to and from the lamp-cord.

(The cover or cap plates for the circuit breakers, and the upper part of the fork and wires are omitted in this view.)

1 indicates the circumferentially-grooved reel or wheel on which the lamp-cord 2 is self-wound under spring-tension and from which, also, it is unwound to the desired using or'service point of the lamp itself (not shown) that is removably-mounted, as customary, in the socket 3, the latter, in turn, having a convenient handgrasp 4, and a stop 5 being adjustably-mounted on the said lamp-cord for determining and limiting its return-winding as well as automatically breaking the light-circuit when the lamp is not used and in the manner I shall now proceed to describe.

6 indicates a swivel-head by which the reel device is suspended from the ceiling tripodbracket 6.

7 indicates each of a spaced pair of pendent metal arms forming a forked or open bearing support for the intermediate reel 1, the latter being mounted on the transverse shaft 8 that is detachably-secured by means of cotter-pins 9.

10 is a strip of insulating material on the outer face of each of the pendent arms 7, ordinarily reaching from top to bottom thereof, but it may, if desired, (but not shown) terminate just above the axis 8 of the reel.

11, 11 indicate, respectively a pair of insulated current intake or feed and outlet wires leading from and to the source of supply into the swivel-head 6 and thence each extending outwardly at 12 and 12 for the usual bared loop-connection 13 with a binding-post 1% that projects outwardly from the insulated face of the pendent arm 7. Nuts 15 and 16 are placed at the back and front of the bared loop-connection 13, and the upper, fiat eye-end 17 of a resilient, somewhat flexed or sloping conductor bridge or arm 18 is first inserted on the said binding-post 14, then the inner nut 15, then the loop-connection 13 and, finally, the outer nut 16. The arm 18 is of fiat metal and its lower free end rests normally out of electric contact with a stop or post-plate 19, the

ll 3 G latter projecting upwardly from a flat eyeend 20, which, in turn, is inserted over a lower terminal screw-bolt post 21. The post 21 projects through the pendent arm 7 from an insulated current conductor arm or plate 22 on the inner face of the disk 23, as shown in Fig. 6, the said disk 23 lying adjacent to the said pendent arm 7 anda nut 24: being applied to the outer end of the post 21, after an insulator-washer 25 has been first inserted. The current passes through the plate 22 whose lower end encircles the reel-shaft 8 and thence to the lamp-cord conductors 2" and thence to the lamp-cord 2, as shown in Fig. 6.

The stop or post-plate 19 is a flat s.rip oi good conductor metal and is bent vertically at 19 for assuring a full and certain broad surface-contact of the lower fiat end 01" the pendent spring or bridge-arm 18 in closing or establishing circuit for the lamp at the outer end of the cord 2. The periphery of the stationary disk 23 is inwardly-Flanged foraccommodating the rim of the hollow hub 26 ofthe reel which rotates therein.

Each of a horizontal pair of flat metal gravitating rock arms or levers 2T, 27. that span the reel, is pivotally1nounted at one inner end 28 on a headed pin 25) projecting from the lower end of the pendent arm 7. and another upper inner end 30 of the rockarm27 is slotted at 31 to engage a headed pin 32 that projects from the pendent arts 7 at a point just above the contact stop or post-plate 19, as best seen in Fig. l.

A lateral, outward projection 33 is provided on the extreme end oi": he member: 30 of the rock-arm 27 and carries on its face an insulated button 334i for non-condruting pressureconta(t with the face of the resilient bridgearm 18 when the rock-arm 27 is swung or raised on its pivot to re lease the lower end of the bridge-min trom contact with the stop or postplaie 1.9 to completely break electric-circuit from the reel, cord and lamp when the latter is not in active illuminating service or use.

The outer ends of the two pivotal or rock arm members 27 are turned at rightangles inwardly toward ach other, as shown in Fig. 2, and duly spaced apart but otherwise connected so to act in an?- son by means of a vertical, elongated wire loop through which the lamp-cord extends outwardly from the reel. The upper end 37 of the 1009 36 is flared outwardly (Fig 1) to receive the upward thrust of the adjustable button 5 that is used to limit the return-winding of the lamp-cord on the reel and simultaneously, forcibly and automatically cutting off the current from the lamp by depressing or backing the two bridgearms 18 from circuit-closing; contact with the upright stops or post-plates 19. Normally, while the circuit is intact to the la up, the insulator-lnittons 34 are not in actual presser-contatt with the bridgearms 18. The weight it the connectingloop 36 at the outer ends of the rock-arms 2?, serves to accelerate the gravitation of the latter on their ivots 29, 29, to hold the insulator-huttons 34; "from presser-contact with the bridge-arms 18 when the current is flowing to the lamp through the bridge-arms when closed against the :ontact post-plates 19. i

In operation it will. be rezulily seen that the bridgr-arms l8, r their contactreleasing and depressii or backing members 30, SO serve in the rapacity ol sw tches at both sides of the reel to break a the circuit-closing d ices located at both sides oi: said reel, ultaneously, and instantly shut oil the w of all current from the source oil supply throi the reel and lamp-cord to the lamp, ma. ng the deviic at once a thoroughly safe and reliable one to handle, both tor ezfnisioirlamp service and for portable electric drills, grinders, ans and the like in machine shops, gm rages and elsewhere, and. without the use ol a key-socket for the lamp and other utility connectionriz.

A removable z'losure plate (Fig. 3) u1- of the two circuitclosing devices herein to cover and protect them at both sides of the reel 1.

I claim a. safety switch or housing 38 I 1" use in connec tion with ten 11 elect ic-lamp reels, comprising a self-\ nding reel, intake wires, a pair of reel supporting-arms eaxh having an outer insulated surface, a binding-post at the upper end or. each reel supportingarm, a resilient circuit-closer arin projecting downwardly from said binding!- post, a stop or p st-plate on said insulated su iporting-arm for prcss r-coutact ot the lower free end. of said resilient closer-arm, a 321i? of gravi ting rock-arms on the said supporting-arms each having a slotted projection at its inner end. insulator presser-lnittons 1 the said slotted projections athiptezlv to forcibly ei'iga z. or back the resilient circuit-(loser arms to break contact with the said stops or postplates, a loop-member conne 3; the outer ends of said roc z-arnis, a lamp-cord [or conducting rurwnt to and supporting the lamp, and an adjustable stop or button on the lamp-cord adapted to be forcibly drawn into contact with the upper cross-bar ot the loop for swinging the n :lr-arms upwardly when the lanui-cord is released for the automatic return to the reel thereof under the winning-tension or". said reel.

FRED F. OAKLEY. 

